May 23, 2016--The play, As You Like It

During the 2015-2016 school year, Emeline, Cowen, and Eli were in a homeschool/charter school program wherein they attended school 1.5 days per week.  It was far too much public school involvement for me, but the kids loved it and Cowen was able to get speech services.  One of the classes offered was theater. Cowen chose a different class at the theater time slot (I forget which one), Eli was too young for it, so only Emeline was officially enrolled in the class.  When the teacher presented the script to the class and explained that Orlando was the male lead and he falls in love with Rosalind, no boy in the class was willing to play the part.  Apparently, falling in love is not kosher with the fouth-sixth grade male.  The teacher then looked at options outside of her enrolled kids and hit upon the idea of Cowen playing Orlando.  Cowen is macho enough to not mind falling in love (in a play) and accepted the part.  For the first half of the semester he attended his own class most of the time and theater a few times.  By the second half of the semester he was attending theater exclusively.

Orlando is the male lead, and in the adapted version the kids did, he is in every single scene.  I kept meaning to help Cowen memorize his lines, but then I didn't and didn't and didn't, until two weeks before the play I felt this overwhelming sense of dread that the play was going to be a disaster and Cowen would be horribly embarrassed.  I had practiced with Emeline and she didn't know her three lines, so I was sure Cowen wouldn't know his.  

I called him into the kitchen one day while I was doing dishes and I started reading the other parts.  Cowen knew all but three lines of the play!!!!  He'd memorized them himself, on his own time, with no encouragement from me whatsoever.  I was so proud!!  He and Emeline both did a great job.  Emeline had to play a besotted girl in love with a girl dressed up like a boy.  Her devoted/besotted expression was darling and she was the most emotive of the cast.  Excellent job, the two of them!

 Look closely at Emeline in the above picture for a taste of her besotted look.

 The above picture is for Kami.  She basically outfitted the play.  All the costumes/cloaks you can see in the picture were made by her.  Thanks again, Kami!!